THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 5, 1995 TAG: 9505040136
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 29 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 118 lines
AREA SWIMMERS have been making wakes as they stroke their way to college futures and high-level competition.
The members of local club teams have earned scholarships and many qualified for the Junior Nationals held last month in Buffalo, N.Y.
A few others have opted to decline scholarship offers and swim at Division III schools.
To qualify for the Junior National meet, swimmers had to achieve a set standard during the short course season. Of nearly 200,000 United States Swimming (USS)-registered athletes, only 1 percent ever hit those times.
Area teams sent five swimmers to the competition - open to swimmers 18 and under. Unfortunately, none of the five advanced to the finals.
Some swimmers competed in the Eastern Zone meet held the following weekend at Princeton University.
Advancing to the short course nationals were Bess Frank of Norfolk Academy Swimming; along with Kathleen Flannery, Abby Francisco, Julie Hutzler and Sarah Pieczonka, all of the Old Dominion Aquatic Club.
Competing in the Eastern Zone meet were Stephanie Jenkins, Ksusha Boutov, Emily Winslow and Melissa Kosinski of the TIDE team; Shannon Turlip, Melanie Stein, Matt Morrisette and John Herzke of ODAC; and Shaunna Johnson of TAC.
Club swimming has now moved into its long course season, with swimmers trying to meet qualifying times for the Junior Nationals to be held Aug. 8-12 in Florida.
While trying to meet those times, seven will rest easy knowing they have already signed letters of intent to attend Division I swim programs. Three others have decided to attend Division III schools, where no scholarship money is offered.
Following are Division I signees with name, swim club, high school and college signed:
Ann Bailey, ODAC, Cox High, Old Dominion University. Bailey has been a Junior Olympic and Seniors Championship finalist.
Flannery, ODAC, Salem High, Southern Illinois University. Flannery is a two-time USS scholastic All-American and has been a Junior National qualifier each year since 1991. When she competed in the 13-14 girls age division, she earned a top 16 ranking in the 200 fly and was named the Virginia swimmer of the year for that age group. She has been a Virginia All-Star team member for seven years and has been selected to several select camps at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Frank, Norfolk Academy Swimming, Norfolk Academy, Princeton. Although not a finalist, Frank finished 12th in the 100 back stroke at the Junior Nationals.
Daniel Gulick, Norfolk Academy Swimming, Norfolk Academy, West Point. Gulick is a USS scholastic All-American and an Eagle Scout. He has received an appointment to the U.S. Army Academy at West Point.
Hutzler, ODAC, Kecoughtan High in Hampton, Ohio State University. Hutzler was an honor roll student and member of the National Honor Society all four years of high school.
Mark Laboccetta, TIDE, Cape Henry Collegiate School, College of Charleston. Laboccetta was second in the 100 back stroke at the Virginia State Independent Schools state championship and has done community service at the Virginia Marine Science Museum.
Pieczonka, ODAC, Tallwood, ODU. Pieczonka was a finalist at the Virginia Senior championships and swam on six national top 16 time-setting relay teams. She is a member of the Virginia All-Star team and received the Virginia Competitive Spirit Award.
The following swimmers have not signed letters of intent, but said they will be swimming at their chosen colleges:
Christina Dinsmore, ODAC, Kempsville, East Carolina University.
Michelle Hollowell, TCAC, Salem, Mary Washington.
Cammie Pickett, ODAC and Norfolk Academy Swimming, Norfolk Academy, Emory University.
Pool talk: ODAC is hosting a parent/youth swimmer seminar today and Saturday for ODAC members featuring guest speaker Christopher Anderson - a sports psychologist from California who will focus on mental and physical stress swimmers must deal with in training and competition.
ODAC has also joined the Virginia Beach's Adopt-a-Beach program. Swimmers have been assigned an area of the Oceanfront and will pick up trash along that area one day each in May, July and September. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
FRONT ROW: Sarah Pieczonka, left, and Abby Francisco; and BACK ROW:
Kathleen Flannery, left, Bess Frank and Julie Hutzler are local
swimmers who qualified for the Junior Nationals in Buffalo, N.Y. Of
nearly 200,000 registered athletes, only 1 percent ever hit times
necessary to qualify for the meet.
Photos
Ann Bailey
Cox High
Old Dominion
Kathleen Flannery
Salem High
Southern Illinois
Bess Frank
Norfolk Academy
Princeton
Daniel Gulick
Norfolk Academy
West Point
Julie Hutzler
Kecoughtan High
Ohio State
Mark Laboccetta
Cape Henry Collegiate
College of Charleston
Sarah Pieczonka
Tallwood High
Old Dominion
by CNB